Jenn from Reappropriate blogs about the racist panda ad that appeared during the SuperBowl:
The two pandas, named “Ling Ling” and “Ching Ching” speak in stereotypical Asian accents and grammatically incorrect “Chinglish”, perpetuating the Perpetual Foreigner stereotype. The commercial’s soundtracks include gongs and mandolins, and the writing is in that “chopstix” font that is supposed to be reminscent of Chinese. “Ching Ching” the wife panda is clearly supposed to be a manipulative laze, who sits on her ass while “Ling Ling” does the work of running the store, playing up the “shrew” stereotype of Asian wives that has become more prevalent of late. “Ling Ling” meanwhile, is viewed as idiotic — eating his (implicitly shoddy) products.
…
I am so glad I didn’t see this commercial on television. I think I might have broken the television.
Of all the Superbowl ads, that was the worst. Seeing it gave me a headache, and I think it dropped my IQ by at least 10 points.
Yep, I’d agree – I thought that was easily the dumbest commercial of all of them.
I keep hearing people talking about this commercial (I didn’t watch) and I’ve noticed one thing: nobody’s said what it was an ad for.
That makes me happy.
That wasn’t the only one — that same company did another commercial that night “featuring” and Indian man, with the stereotypical “Indian” accent, and at the end, it showed him on stage accepting an award, and standing behind him was his wife (sari and bindi and all) and his kids (too many to count, of course). This company is appalling.
Seven kids. He mentioned the number when he was talking to his boss.
A youtube link for those who missed it yet feel masochistic enough to want to watch it.
Did anyone see that racist ad that ran during the Aussie Open with the woman of East Asian descent huddling her child and walking through a Hollywood version of the ‘fetid Oriental slum’ until a giant white man’s hand holds up a pair of glasses through which she’s viewed and she appears dressed in western clothes in a bright and shiny supermarket? That one made me gasp in horror.
Oh, hell no. I’ve always found it appalling that it seems to be “open season” on making fun of Asian people, and was actually pleasantly surprised when the ‘Tsunami Song’ people and Rosie O’Donnell were given even a “slap on the wrist” for that crap (because it generally goes totally unpunished). Unfortunately, slaps on the wrist are not a sufficient deterrent. Just like I convinced my father to stop purchasing Glaceau’s Vitamin Water after their anti-Asian ad campaign, I’ll inform anyone I know that’s planning on using this company’s services to refrain from doing so.
It was particularly embarrassing if you happened to be in a multi-racial group, as I was… it was like, racism was suddenly brought front and center and we were all just trying to kick back and relax.
And then, that commercial Eliza referred to, which I found as bad.
((sigh))
Commenter Jimbo over at http://www.poplicks.com cited this businesswire article regarding the creation of the ads: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20071227005453&newsLang=en
I have to admit, if there wasn’t so much blogosphere brouhaha over the Salesgenie ads, I would have never heard of the company. Appalling, but that’s exactly what the company wants.
I haven’t heard of this. Could you describe it to me?
Ah, now I remember…It wasn’t an ad campaign, it was a “promotional message”. Then, what was really screwed about it was when literally called on it, Glaceau sent a company shill to Eric Stoller’s blog to act the part of “customer who gets the joke and thinks they’re oversensitive.”
http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/02/13/glaceau-racist-voicemail-message/
http://www.angryasianman.com/2007/02/racist-glaceau-phone-greeting.html
Oh, there is an ad campaign:
http://www.racialicious.com/2007/05/23/vitamin-water-commercial-emasculates-asian-men/
And yet again, in the comments section someone mentions another company shill being enlisted to do damage control by posing as an unoffended customer online, this time on Angry Asian Man’s site. Like, damn… is it so hard to not do the Asian jokes, that you have to pay someone to deflect criticism of your Asian jokes, time and time again? Now THAT’S funny.
It comes from a society that is debating if Obama is black.
I linked to this blog.
Haha definitely. Paying someone to get your jokes. This guy really must be the life of the party.
But you can see the dilemma he’s in. Say you’re a mediocre, expendable human being, like the marketting guy for Glaceau who comes up with these ads. You lead an insecure and unimaginative existence, and your parents are so lovingly understanding as you meander your way from a dull suburban youth to soulless office grunt for an advertising firm. You have to convince yourself that you’re more important than you are, which isn’t much, by doing/saying something *edgy*. Racism, what’s edgier than that these days? But it has to be racism against Asians, because to do it against any other major racial/ethnic group is unthinkable. You are, after all, an insecure coward. And the best part of all, you don’t have to summon up that originality that you patently do not have, because you can just draw upon past decades’ material of recycled prejudice.
In my weaker moments, I do pity him.
I really don’t get the idea of sending some company shill to pretend to be an unoffended customer. I mean, even if anyone bought their story, would it actually make a difference to any rational, thinking human being? Like someone is offended and then along comes some (no doubt white, you can just tell) woman saying, “well, gee, it’s just light hearted and sarcastic, like all their stuff, so I wasn’t really offended,” and suddenly the offended person is going think, “well, gosh, maybe you’re right — you’re not offended, maybe I shouldn’t be, either.”
Actually, since they’re obviously pretty stupid, I guess I am a little surprised that they didn’t have the shill add a comment about being Asian themselves, and still not offended. Cuz, you know, that always makes things suddenly not racist, when one person who claims to be of the ethnic or racial background being discussed isn’t offended.
I didn’t see the ad. (I don’t have a tv and don’t watch pro football.)
One thing in the description jumped out at me as weird. “The commercial’s soundtracks include gongs and mandolins“. Huh? I associate mandolins with bluegrass, not Asia.
“Actually, since they’re obviously pretty stupid, I guess I am a little surprised that they didn’t have the shill add a comment about being Asian themselves, and still not offended. Cuz, you know, that always makes things suddenly not racist, when one person who claims to be of the ethnic or racial background being discussed isn’t offended.”
I was also quite surprised that they didn’t construct an Asian sockpuppet. Then again, aforementioned shill probably would’ve caved in to the uncontrollable compulsion to make him/her as stereotypical as possible, because in their world, Asian people are genetically incapable of having names like John and Mary and/or a deft grasp of the English language.
“I don’t have a tv and don’t watch pro football”
Marry me! j/k Forgive me, I’m from Texas.
I didn’t know Asian women were viewed as shrew-like — see, Alas teaches me something every day!
I must’ve missed this commercial, though I do remember being shocked — just SHOCKED — at the misogyny in one of the others, though, nearly a week later, I can’t recall the details.
This year’s Super Bowl was the first football game I’ve seen in its entirity in my whole life. But I have a vagina, so I guess that’s not too surprising.
Me neither, zombie z… I’d heard about the “Dragon Lady” stereotype, but not the shrew. *scratches head*
“mandolins”
Different kind of mandolin — Chinese stringed instruments are referred to as mandolins in English.
Thank you Jenn–that makes sense.